Mailbox bracket



E. H. HOWARD MAILBOX BRACKET Nov; 6, 1951 Filed July 1, 1950 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAILBOX BRACKET Emory H. Howard, Des Moines, Iowa. 7 Application July 1, 1950, Serial No. 171,640

6 Claims. (Cl. 248-122) This invention is directed to. a supporting bracket for such devices as mailboxes, although it may be utilized for articles other than mailboxes.

An object of the invention is the provision of a novel construction bracket for mounting a mailbox or other article, having means for leveling the member that directly supports the mailbox, and securing it in true level position.

A specific object of the invention is the provision, in one embodiment thereof, of a novel bracket having a flexible element, by flexing of which, the member that directly supports the mailbox can be moved to true level position, and means for fixedly securing the member in true level position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel construction mailbox bracket having flexible means as referred to above for leveling the supporting member, by means of which the supporting member can be moved in extremely fine adjustments to true level position.

Still another object in a second embodiment of the invention is the provision of a novel construction mailbox bracket that can be adjusted on its supporting means in each of two different directions for leveling the member that directly supports the mailbox.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bracket which can be mounted for swinging movement into and out of the desired normal useful location.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of one form of bracket of the present invention;

Figure 2 is another form of bracket similar in its essential respects to the form shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a bracket of a third form;

Figure 4 is a view from the left of Figure 3;

Figure 5 illustrates a detail of the mounting means for the bracket which enable swinging movement of the bracket;

Figure 6 is a detail view of another means for mounting the bracket; and

Figure 7 is a detail view of still another form of means for mounting the bracket.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the

form of bracket shown in Figure 1 is indicated as a whole by the. numeral 12 and includes a member [3 having a vertical portion I4, which is directly se- Cured to a post It or other form of vertical supporting means. Bolts, such as [8, are inserted through holes in the portion 14 and through holes in the post. The member 13 includes, in addition to the vertical portion l4, an arcuate portion 2t bent upwardly from the bottom end of the element Ill forming a loop 22. The member is is preferably made of a steel strip, and particularly the portion 20 is flexible, possessing a considerable degree of springiness. It is not essential that the portion M be flexible but the arcuate portion 20 is to be flexible. The portion 2!! curves up-. wardly and laterally outwardly away from the portion 14.

A top supporting or mounting plate 22 is also provided. This plate is preferably of metal and is also provided. This plate is preferably of metal and is mounted in position by supporting it adjacent one end thereof on the upper extended end of the portion 20 by means of welding it thereto as indicated at 24. The other end of the supporting plate 22 is welded to the upperend of a vertical strut 26 as indicated at 2B, the lower end of the strut 26 being welded as indicated at 30 to the curved arcuate portion 20 intermediate the ends of the latter. The top supporting plate 22 is provided with a plurality of holes 32 through which screws are inserted for mounting the mailbox 34 on the plate. The mailbox is indicated only diagrammatically since it does not in itself form a part of the present invention; it is here pointed out that the bracket can be employed for mounting objects other than mailboxes. A bolt 36 has one end welded, as indicated at 38, to the vertical portion I4 and extends generally horizontally where its outer threaded end extends through a hole in the strut 25. Nuts to are threaded on the bolt 36 on opposite sides of the strut 26.

Ordinarily, the post I6 or other supporting member is in vertical position but if it should be slightly out of such position, the top supporting plate 22 can be moved to true level position by means of adjusting the nuts 40 onthe bolt 36 whereby the nuts carry the strut 26 therealong, flexing the lower part of the arcuate portion 29 and thereby swinging the top supporting plate 22 to level position; I

The bracket illustrated in Figure 2 is similar in most respects to the form shown in Figure 1. he same reference numerals as usedin Figure 1 are applied also toFigure 2 but with prime markings. The arcuate member 20' illustrated in Figure 2 does not have a vertical continuation such as shown at M in Figure 1, but the arcuate element 20' is welded at its lower end, as indicated at 42, directly to an erect tubular member 44 to which the end of the bolt 36 is welded, as indicated at 46. The operation for adjusting the top supporting plate 22' is the same as described in connection with Figure l. V

The tube 4 is telescoped over an insert 48, the lower end of which is inserted in a supporting post 50, which is also in the form of a tube. The, element 44 then rests directly on the upper end swing or swivel about the insert 48 on a vertical' axis for swinging the bracketand the mailbox out of its usual normal position.

Figure 5 illustrates a mounting means that may be preferred over that shown in Figure 2. In Figure 5 a small diameter post 56 is the supporting means, having on its upper end a collar 58 held in place by a set screw 52 threaded through a nut 54 welded on the collar, the set screw extending through a hole in the collar and engaging the post 56. The numeral M in this case represents a tubular element such as indicated at 44 in Figure 2.

In Figure 6 is shown a means for supporting the bracket when it is not particularly desired to swing the mailbox out of its normal position. In Figure 6 the lock nut 5 is welded directly to the tubular element 44 and the set screw 52 is threaded therethrough and through a hole in the tubular element 44, engaging the post 56.

Figure 7 shows another form of means for supporting the bracket. A small diameter post 56 has a collar 58a held in place on the post 5611 by a set screw 52a threaded through a nut 54a. welded on the collar and engaging the post 5611.. A

tubular element 44a is threaded over the post a to rest on the collar 58a. The upper surface of the collar 58:; and the lower surface of the element 44a are both levelled at the same angle, as indicated at 59. Thus the mailbox is held in position facing in one direction. When the box has been turned in the opposite direction, a slight push will suflilce to return the box to its original position.

The form shown in Figures 3 and 4 includes a bracket indicated generally at 60 in the form of a plate adapted to be disposed vertically as illustrated. At one end of the plate is a flange62 disposed at right angles thereto having holes 54 for the insertion of bolts 56, the bolts extending also through holes in the post l6. As shown in Figure 4 (in this case the bolts 56 are omitted), the holes or slots 64 are elongated horizontally so that adjustment may be made by moving either the upper or lower end to one side or the other for disposing the bracket or plate 60 in true vertical position.

The plate 60 extends outwardly to the desired length for supporting the top supporting plate 58. The plate 68 is provided with a pair of angle brackets 10, each of which has a turned over horizontal flange 12 engaging the under-surface of the plate and welded thereto. Each ,of the brackets also includes a downwardly extending flange or leg 14. The brackets, and particularly the legs thereof,'are in register with holes or vertically arranged slots 16 in the plate 60. Bolts 4 18 are inserted through holes in the legs 14 and then through the slots 16 where nuts are threaded thereon. The slots 76, as shown in Figure 3, are of greater vertical dimension than the diameter of the bolts so that the top plate 68 can be adjusted vertically by sliding the bolts in the slots. Either end of the top plate 68 can therefore be adjusted independently of the other, for leveling the plate. Thus it can be seen that in -.the form of bracket illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, adjustment of the bracket, and particularly the top plate thereof, can be made in two different directions; namely, the bracket itself can be adjusted so that it lies in a vertical plane by swinging the upper or lower end of the flange 62 on the bolts 65, and by adjusting either end of the itop plate by sliding the bolts 18 in the slots 16.

In the forms illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the plate 22 (or 22') can be adjusted in extremely fine increments to true level position, by means -of the flexing of the flexible portion 20, and in the form illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the top plate can be adjusted to level position in two directions.

While I have herein shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made; and I, therefore, contemplate by the claims appended thereto to cover any such modifications or substitutions of mechanical equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character disclosed, a bracket including a vertical element adapted to be mounted on a vertical support, a flexible element secured to said vertical element and extendin laterally therefrom, a plate mounted on the extended end of said flexible element, said plate being movable, on flexing of said flexible element, into positions in and adjacent the horizontal, and means interconnecting said vertical element and said flexible element for flexing said flexible ele ment and thereby moving said plate, said means being operable for fixedly securing said plate in any of its positions.

2. In a device of the character disclosed, a bracket including a vertical element adapted to be mounted on a vertical support, a flexible element secured to said vertical element and extending laterally therefrom, a plate mounted on the extended end of said flexible element, said plate being movable, on flexing of said flexible element, into positions in and adjacent the horizontal, and means interconnecting said vertical element and said plate for moving said plate and for securing it in any of its positions.

3. In a device of the character disclosed, a bracket including a vertical element adapted to be mounted on a vertical support, a flexible element having one end secured to "said vertical element adjacent the lower end of the latter and extend ing upwardly and outwardly therefrom, a plate mounted on the extended end of said flexible element, said plate being movable, on flexing of said flexible element, into positions in and adjacent the horizontal, and means interconnecting said vertical element and said flexible element for flexing said flexible element and thereby moving said plate, said means being operable for fixedly securing said plate in any of its positions.

4. In a device of the character disclosed, a bracket including a vertical element adapted to be mounted'on a vertical support, a flexible elem nt erably engaging said strut, said adjusting means being operable for flexing said flexible member and thereby moving said plate, and for fixedly securing said plate in any of its positions.

5. In a device of the character disclosed, a vertical element adapted for mounting on a vertical support, a flexible element integral with said vertical element and extending outwardly therefrom, a plate mounted on the extended end of said flexible element, said plate being movable, on flexing of said flexible element, into positions in and adjacent the horizontal, and means interconnecting said vertical element and said flexible element for flexing said flexible elementand thereby moving said plate, said means being operable for fixedly securing said plate in any of its positions.

6. In a device of the character disclosed, a vertical tubular element adapted for mounting on a support for swinging on a vertical axis, a flexible element having one end secured to said vertical element with its other end extending laterally therefrom, a plate mounted on the extended end of said flexible element, said plate being movable, on flexing of said flexible element, into positions in and adjacent the horizontal, and means interconnecting said vertical element and said flexible element for flexing said flexible element and thereby moving said plate, said means being operable for fixedly securing said plate in any of its positions.

EMORY H. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 710,780 Hutchens Oct. 7, 1902 1,254,094 Vogt Jan. 22, 1918 1,256,690 Helgeson Feb. 19, 1918 1,345,344 Blanford July 6, 1920 1,391,091 Arbuckle Sept. 20, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 279,992 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1927 

